CHAPTER 4: MAGIC

“Boss, I think we lost them. We’ve been going for hours now...”

“I agree with Aldous, boss. We should look for a place to spend the night.”

Gorken glanced back at his companions, “I already know that. There’s a pond not too far from here, we could spend the night there. I don’t remember you guys being so whiny though.”

Malia was tired from the long day of running, but she enjoyed watching Gorken, Aldous and Bayard. There was something about them that made her feel safe. During the day she had been paying attention to their interactions, collecting as much information about them as she could. She already knew Gorken, although she could see some differences from when they were kids; he really was their leader, and he didn’t question his own authority. Aldous was usually the one to break the silence and to state the obvious. She was grateful for that. She understood that he would ask about any doubt they may share before she had a chance to.  On the rare occasions Bayard decided to speak, Malia found him amusing. He seemed to enjoy teasing Aldous, but she hadn’t been able deduce the reason yet. She wouldn’t admit it out loud, but it troubled her to feel out of place. The three young men were family, she was a stranger. And yet, the warmth that bound them captivated her.

They got to the pond by dusk. Such was the reflection of the fiery sky and the dancing leaves that Malia almost confused the water for a mirror. She would have loved to take a bath, to immerse herself in the gorgeous view, but it would have been unwise to await the cold of night soaking wet.

“Aldous, Bayard, stay here and keep an eye out for demons and soldiers.” Gorken commanded, “I’ll search for something to eat.”

Malia got up from the rock where she was sitting, “Then I’ll go with you!”

They walked together through the woods, picking up mushrooms, fruits and nuts. Malia couldn’t tell which ones were edible, so she mainly helped Gorken carry them. They were back to Aldous and Bayard along with nightfall.

Aldous had been staring at Malia for a while, his face molded equally by perplexity and hilarity. He couldn’t believe the large amounts of food she was able to consume, nor the speed at which she did so. Granted, appeasing an empty stomach with berries and fungi was no easy task, but far past the point he and his two friends had eaten their fill, Malia kept merrily chewing mouthful after mouthful. Aldous gazed at his companions inquisitively, as to confirm he wasn’t the only one surprised, but Gorken and Bayard simply shrugged at his silent agitation.

Aldous left behind his trivial worries when he saw Gorken standing up and reaching for his sword. They understood the gesture clearly and instantly: he had sensed something in the woods. They all followed his example and waited. A rustling sound was coming from nearby bushes. The noise grew and shrank unevenly, before finally stopping after several hushed breaths. Then they saw it.

A big creature emerged from behind the plants. It was hard to see its form, almost as if it was a breathing part of the forest. Leaves and roots covered its body, and wood and earth merged as one to form its figure. A yellow eye was all that could be seen on top of what Malia guessed was the head of the being. The creature was sniffing them from where it was standing, turning its head from side to side. When it faced Malia, it stopped moving. Then the leaves and branches beneath the yellow eye contracted, revealing a mouth bursting with sharp teeth. The cavity resembled a giant carnivorous plant, and from it the creature let out a deep and loud cry.

Malia was the first to talk, “…A demon of the forest!”

Gorken nodded, “But they don’t usually appear in this area... this is strange.”

“Please let us take care of it.” As Aldous spoke both he and Bayard had taken a step forward.

The demon detached one of its tree-like limbs from the earth and charged at them. Bayard threw a hefty rock at the demon’s head, while Aldous got close to its leg and used his twin knives to cut through it. The demon fell to the ground with a resounding howl, and before it could move Aldous had stabbed its eyeball. And it was still.

Malia watched in astonishment. Even though she knew how to fight demons thanks to her master’s training, it was the first time she actually saw the death of one. Aldous’ and Bayard’s coordination and teamwork had been flawless. And yet, there was a feeling inside her that managed to overshadow her admiration: killing a demon felt wrong. It was wrong. But she couldn’t locate the source of that certainty.

“Did you see that Malia?” Aldous said, “Pretty awesome, huh?”

Bayard was the one to reply, “Only those who distrust their own worth feel the need to brag.”

Aldous rolled his eyes, “Why don’t you choke on my-!”

Before Aldous and Bayard could go back to where Gorken and Malia were standing, another forest demon, silent as a shadow, arose behind them. Aldous and Bayard jumped back and managed to avoid the first strike, but they were left in no position to counter-attack.

Suddenly a bright light hit the demon on the head and made it fall to the dirt. It was Malia, who had jumped and landed heavily on it. She twirled back to the ground, as Gorken approached the creature and decapitated it before it could rise again.

“Two forest demons in this area? There is definitely something wrong here.” Gorken mumbled to himself.

“Thank you! Malia, Boss, you saved our necks!” Aldous waved at them.

“I told you guys you were getting too whiny,” Gorken shook his head disapprovingly, “you'll have to train when we get back.”

Aldous patted Malia’s back, eager to escape Gorken’s reprimanding, “You shocked me back there! I didn't know you could fight like that! Sure, you’re kind of buff, but that jump was unbelievable!”

Bayard joined them, “I’m quite interested in knowing what that light was.”

“I'll answer all your questions, don't worry. I…” She interrupted herself to look at where the bodies of the demons were supposed to be. Instead of two giant creatures, what was left was a field of white flowers, “What is this?”

“We don’t know.” Gorken answered, “But it’s what always happens when we kill a demon of the forest. Their bodies turn into flowers, or plants, sometimes trees.”

“It’s beautiful.” Malia kneeled in front of the blossoms, letting their sweet fragrance traverse her body.

After that, they all sat around the fire. Gorken spoke first, carefully cleaning the dirt and sap off the blade of his sword as he talked, “I would like to ask about your fighting style. I’ve seen you attack with great destructive power using only your body. How is that possible?”

“With magic.” Malia stated.

The three humans exchanged confused looks.

“You’ve used magic to heal wounds,” Gorken continued, “and when we encounter it on the battlefield… the only consistent information we have is that it’ll end grimly for us. The rebellion’s in dire need of knowledge about magic. How does it work? What is it exactly?”

“Well, to put it simply, magic is... the physical manifestation of willpower. That is why it can be used in so many ways. For example, I use a particular technique that allows me to concentrate large amounts of magical energy in some part of my body to drastically increase my strength. It only glows when the energy starts to dissipate, transforming into light. To be honest,” she scratched her head nervously, “that shouldn’t happen if you have perfect control over the amount of energy you should use.”

Aldous threw his arms upward, “Doesn’t that mean you can do whatever you wish with magic?!”

“It’s not that simple. It’s true that you can accomplish many wonderful things, but it requires great knowledge to fulfill the smallest of tasks through magic. Sometimes it’s even easier to do something the normal way instead of learning how to do it with magic. It’s also a really unstable and dangerous tool.”

“That could be said of most weapons.” Bayard added.

“True, but… magic is a power that intensely depends on the emotions of the user, that’s why it isn’t always reliable. And it’s dangerous because it creates the illusion of great power when it actually has all kinds of limitations.” Malia rubbed her knuckles, “I learned to increase my strength with my magic. However, if I didn’t train my body and only relied on magic, I wouldn’t be able to withstand the physical toll of using it and I would eventually break down and die. It is also true that you can heal wounds at an accelerated rate by infusing cells with magical energy, but that only works as long as the body is alive and able to respond to that energy. You cannot heal dead tissue.  And it’s like that for every use; it has its benefits, but also its boundaries.”

Aldous let himself fall and lay down on the grass, “Man, but it’s still an amazing power! It's good to have you on our side Malia!”

She blushed slightly, “Thanks.”

They all remained in silence for long moments. Aldous was staring at the sky, while Bayard had his eyes towards the ground. Gorken kept cleaning his sword, and Malia was worried that maybe she had told them too much all at once. “That’s enough information to digest for a night.” Gorken said then, “Let’s get some rest. Aldous, Bayard, we will keep watch in the same order as always.”

“I want to help too!” Malia protested, “If more people do it, everyone will get more sleep.”

“Alright,” Gorken agreed, “you’ll go after Aldous. He’ll let you know when it’s your turn.”

“Understood!”

Hours later, Bayard approached Gorken, who was sitting on the floor with his sword on his lap, “Boss, it’s my turn.”

He nodded, “I’ll go get some rest.”

Gorken walked toward the place they had chosen to sleep, a small piece of even terrain surrounded by many trees. He saw Malia sleeping, leaning on a tree, her chest rising and falling peacefully. Without thinking, he bent down near her and gazed at her. She had let her long hair down from its ponytail, and a lock was out of place across her forehead. He gently removed it from her face and placed it behind her ear. As he felt the undeniable warmth of her skin against his hand, he whispered to himself, “…You really are here...”